THE CAUCUS; After an Endorsement, Some Pointed Advice

By ASHLEY PARKER

Published: April 20, 2012

Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana endorsed Mitt Romney for president on Wednesday - then criticized him a day later in an interview with The Indianapolis Star.

Mr. Daniels, a fiscal conservative who many Republicans had hoped would seek the presidency himself, seemed to chide Mr. Romney for not offering a more positive message to voters. (Mr. Romney has spent a lot of time on the campaign trail attacking President Obama, and his ''super PAC,'' Restore Our Future, has used its considerable resources to demolish primary rival after primary rival with negative ads.)

''You have to campaign to govern, not just to win,'' Mr. Daniels told Matthew Tully of The Indianapolis Star. ''Spend the precious time and dollars explaining what's at stake and a constructive program to make life better. And as I say, look at everything through the lens of folks who have yet to achieve.''

Mr. Daniels also had some advice for Mr. Romney: ''Go ahead and have the confidence in the voters to explain the fix we're in and then tell them with some specificity what we can do to get out of it in a way that's good for everybody,'' he said. ''Explain those things from the standpoint of the young and poor - those who haven't achieved the dream yet.''

This is a more complete version of the story than the one that appeared in print.